Pope Francis has said that the issue of married men working as priests in the Latin-rite Catholic Church is “in my diary”. Speaking to priests of the diocese of Rome on February 19, the Pope responded to questions on the issue, according to a report in the Italian bishops’ paper L’Avvenire. At the meeting, a Read more
Hindus are urging Pope Francis to take action against a Northern Ireland priest who said people who enjoy yoga could be opening themselves to Satan. The controversy came after Fr Roland Colhoun preached a sermon in Drumsurn in Northern Ireland earlier this month. The priest said he warned about several aspects of the new-age movement, Read more
The establishment of two new congregations–the first for Laity-Family Life, the second for Charity-Justice-Peace, which includes a new office for ecology–were among the proposals for reform of the Roman Curia that were presented to the College of Cardinals on Feb. 12 at the opening session of a two-day meeting in the Vatican. There is as Read more
When Pope Francis commented that people should not reproduce “like rabbits,” some who read his comment were upset that he seemed to be attacking large families even though he was raised in one himself. That is probably one reason that lately he has extolled the wonders of large families and criticized the “selfishness” of some Read more
The former secretary of Archbishop Oscar Romero says the martyred prelate was not a great fan of liberation theology. Msgr Jesus Delgado said Archbishop Romero was visited by proponents of liberation theology and they left him their books. Msgr Delgado said he doubted the archbishop ever read them. Liberation theology “was in opposition to what Read more
Vatican sources are denying that an American gay-rights activist group received special treatment at a papal general audience last week. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that New Ways Ministry received VIP treatment and were given tickets to be in the front row of the audience. The group said this contrasted with previous occasions when Read more
A silenced Irish theologian says the prefect of the Church’s doctrinal watchdog is head of a Vatican faction opposed to Pope Francis. Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery told an Irish radio show that Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, leads the anti-Francis faction in the Vatican. “He would generally Read more
A group of United States gay and lesbian Catholics was given VIP treatment at a papal general audience in St Peter’s Square on February 18. Fifty members of New Ways Ministry, which ministers to homosexual Catholics and promotes gay rights, made a pilgrimage to Rome. Their requests for VIP seats at the weekly audience were Read more
Militants claiming loyalty to the Islamic State (ISIS) have declared that they intend to conquer Rome. The warning came in a video apparently showing the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians next to the Mediterranean Sea in Libya. In the video, an English-speaking militant said they are sending a message “from the south of Rome”. At Read more
Pope Francis has met Tongan King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. They later met Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for Relations with States. King Tupou expressed his satisfaction at the election of the first Cardinal from Tonga, Cardinal Soane Patita Read more